Acrobat X Pro - Menu option "Organize" and "Collections" are gone!

Sorry, but Organizer was dropped from the Acrobat X Family as it was increasingly difficult to support on modern operating systems with roaming user profiles, temporarily-mounted network storage, SharePoint, etc. - data collected from Acrobat 9 indicates that it was a very rarely-used feature across the general customer base, so despite it being of great benefit to those who did regularly use it, the product team decided to remove it completely.

Hello,
"difficult to support a modern OS".. is not a reason to remove a VERY useful feature.
They had to find a technical solution.(like every s/w company)
I called to Adobe support (Europe) they are flood with complains about this missing feature,
so I'm not the only one.

There are so many new devices that have small screens (netbook computers, cell phones, etc) that are now being supported and need the maximum display real estate for content viewing and many power users have so many tool bars loaded that their content display is very small. Removing various tool bars from the top of the screen and placing them in 'wells' on the right side provides a larger vertical content view area. Also some of the menu items have been rearranged, not uncommon with a major version revision, and some items are grouped with similar actions for example, portfolios are created so the action could be considered a 'Create' action and optimize requires a save action so 'Save As' maybe an appropriate choice.

Adobe is not the only major software developer to provide a different user interface. Have you seen MS Office 2007 or 2010 and the MS Ribbon?

For some of you needs you might want to look at a RD party product like Benubird PDF from Debenu.

I agree there are numerous complaints, and while I'm trying to explain the situation I personally quite liked Organizer and I'm sorry to see it go. However, Acrobat has millions of regular users, so even a hundred people don't count a great deal in the overall picture, and Adobe does have very accurate data on the detailed usage of each feature in Acrobat thanks to the reporting via Product Improvement.

You can post a wish to ask for it back, but it was a decision taken after a lot of careful evaluation, so I don't see it returning anytime soon. It was after all a rather strange feature for anything other than a web browser to contain - no other Adobe software (or for that matter any PDF software I know of) had such a complex history system bolted onto the File menu, and there are of course many dedicated file management and version control programs on the market which will handle all your files, not just PDFs.

I'm also in the business of software developing, but I can't agree that the very useful feature
"Organize" and "Collections" were removed because of the new devices (small screens etc").
It looks like another excuse, especially, when I see the portfolio use of screen...(it require large screens).

I'm using MS-Office2010, and I moved from MS-Office 2003, but I did NOT lost any features, unlike
with Acrobat X. ! On the contrary, the MS-Office2010 is 64bits...

And the portfolio, that Adobe so proud with, it is not useful, as your Portfolio isn't updated when one of the PDF was changed.. than you need, manually, to update your portfolio ... useless, unless you have auto-update.

I don't understand Adobe, the Organize/Collections feature isn't "expensive" in terms of GUI (that was there since version 7, I think), they could leave it in the Acrobat X, it does not consume a ToolBar, not even a button.
I've filled already the "wish formular", but I doubt if someone read it, and think!

Adobe does not care for their clients, did not offer any backward computability, the installer simply wipe the collections I had. No warning message, nothing. Is this normal behavior ?

I have tried Benubird PDF, they have collections, but, unfortunately,
when you want to open the PDF, the program copied it into temp folder
and open it from there.
This is bad, because if you modify the file, and save it .. you think that you
save it in the original place, but you just update the copied file.

The Acrobat 9 pro, Organize/Collections was very good - it is very sad that Adobe took it
out.
In my company, we will stay with the Acrobat 9, except one PC with the version 10.

It's not about the space taken up by the menu item, it's the (frankly horrible) code required behind the scenes to make Organizer work properly. For example now that Acrobat X integrates into SharePoint, apparently-simple ideas like the folder location of the file you viewed last week are not at all straightforward.

Looking at the target customer base for Acrobat (which is the enterprise knowledge worker, not individual creative or home users), those who require file management and version control almost all use an enterprise-class solution for that purpose, and wouldn't be allowed to run their own desktop-level hive even if they wanted to. As such, Organizer was simply too much work to fix compared to the number of people wanting it. Remember that just as many people complain about the size of the installer footprint, so if every possible feature was left in, we'd be buried under accusations of "bloatware".

If Adobe had problem with Organizer/Collections for enterprises, than why they did the portfolio - it is even worse. No one in a multi-user environment can update a PDF that I incorporate into a portfolio...

See how many different "reasons" I got, and none of then is the real reason.
As I'm in charge for PDF, I'll find third party solution, meanwhile, we are with Acrobat 9 pro.
Adobe should learn the lesson: it is difficult to get clients, it is easy to send them elsewhere.

Mmmm…
Mac users can't benefit of the Sharepoint feature, but they benefit the Organizer removing !


Remember when Acrobat 7 was released : Organizer was one of the essential and very exiting new features…
As essential and exiting as VersionCue when the Creative Suite was released : dropped in CS5.

:-(

Here are the summary of all the "reasons":
UVSAR: "Organizer was dropped from the Acrobat X Family as it was increasingly difficult to support on modern operating systems"
gkaiseril :"There are so many new devices that have small screens"...
UVSAR : "Acrobat has millions of regular users, so even a hundred people don't count a great deal in the overall picture, and Adobe does have very accurate data on the detailed usage" ...
UVSAR: "Looking at the target customer base for Acrobat (which is the enterprise knowledge worker, not individual creative or home users), those who require file management and version control" ...

Well, it is all excuses, The Organize/Collections was in the last 3 versions of Acrobat, it not had problems, with enterprises, versions control. Many people use it (that's why it wasn't removed from version 7 to 8, and from 8 to 9). I don't know why they remove it, but I know that I'll not continue with the next version, luckily - I purchased only one license, we will stay with the version 9 - better than version 10 (put an X on it).

Hi Udi,

I hope you relaize that while UVSAR frequently uses the term "we" and his responses sometimes seem as if he works and speaks for Adobe, in fact he does not. Those reasons are his opinions, not official Adobe ones. Most people who reply here at AUC are Acrobat users/developers from independent companies just like you. You should also post to the Adobe User to User forums as there are more Adobe employees that read those, and as UVSAR mentioned you should also put in a feature request to have the Organizer put back in a future version.

Dimitri
WindJack Solutions
www.windjack.com
www.pdfscripting.com

Dimitri, thanks for your answer. I wrote to Adobe.. so what ? they did not even reply.
I called to Adobe, here in Europe - they know and aware to this missing feature, but they suggest me to write to Adobe US (remember.. those who don't reply..).
So, I'll just not buy more licenses. That's they only way they know.

Hello to all,

Concerning the "organize" and "Collection" that are missing in Acrobat X Pro:
I'm using also Premiere Elements 9 & Photoshop Elements 9 , and they have
the Organize feature ...
Strange, but for low level program (not "Pro")Adobe added the function, they they
took out from Acrobat X Pro ....

Just ridiculous. Don't buy "Pro" versions from Acrobat - is this the message ?

Thanks,

It looks like that the Acrobat staff don't know that the copy-paste feature should also works for programming…

Look into InDesign : page transitions are nicely shown in a nice window, it's very user friendly.
Then, I'd "requested a feature" dozen times to see that window in Acrobat, answer is always the same: "may be in a later version"…

:-(

Marlin,

Thanks for the reply, good to know that I'm not the only "stupid client" who's looking for the Organize and Collections.
Before purchase any other Adobe product, I'll wait to see if they will "fix" (put back) this missing feature.

Thx again,
Udi

Dear all,
Here is the reply of Adobe/Acrobat for requesting the "Organize" & "Collections" back into the Acrobat X :- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Udi,
The feature was removed from Acrobat X.
Regards,
Devyani.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And Adobe call it an "Upgrade" ??? :)

I too am a disillusioned long-time customer of Adobe Acrobat, after seeing all the DOWNGRADES in version X Pro, which make this version Harder to Navigate for individualized user's functions.

I've used Acrobat extensively in scientific and other varieties of document management since version 4 through 6 and Pro versions 7, 8 & 9-extended; and I found the previous version upgrades to be great improvements in functionality and flexibility - UNTIL Acrobat X Pro, which is a major step BACKWARD for users.I read many of the Adobe "excuses" for eliminating features and expanding "real estate" on small devices; however, these reasons are INValid! I have used Adobe Reader on my PDA phone for years, as well as Adobe on my laptop, and IF I need more readable space, THEN I can CHOOSE "when and what" toolbars and tools to display or not. I despise Acrobat X programmers' thinking they should lock menus and tool bars for stupid users; we could do that ourselves with the flecxible prior versions as needed for our various hardware.

Acrobat X Pro vastly reduced its usability for me, and offers little if any improvement over my version 9 Pro-extended; for example:
1. I often used the Organizer, which was a tremendously good tool to help locate and manage certain pdf files; even though it did have some glitches and limitations that frequent users learned about and could avoid.
2. I also DEPLORE Acrobat X's greatly reduced flexibility in users' past ability to CUSTOMIZE the program for best uses; such as,
- changing default Navigation Page Thumbnail sizes (they are now locked at larger sizes - talk about a LOSS of screen space!)
- lack of multiple rows of tools for toolbars, which was especially useful when one tries to compare pdf files side-by-side, or in cascades, since you could still VIEW ALL your selected tools! (if too many tools and rows obscured screen space, it was EASY to simply "uncheck" the toolbar temporarily, plus Acrobat 9 would automatically expand and shrink certain displayed tools when windows were not in full screens)
- lack of very convenient "grabbing and dropping" edges on left of toolbar groups to place them WHERE YOU WANT THEM TO RESIDE
- TEDIOUS Acrobat X chore of SINGLY opening (rt-click) drop-down menus to select tools for displaying on the 2nd menu row, rather than being able to add them with MULTIPLE check marks in a window that STAYS OPEN until you finish your customizations
- inability to DOCK properties bar and typewriter (now text box), and place where you want them to appear
- etc.
3. Since the locked tools on both menu row 1 (Quick Tools) and row 2 (mostly Navigation tool buttons - selected by right-clicking and choosing single tool in group) FAIL to be displayed in smaller windows views (side-by-side, cascades, tiles, etc.), it now takes EXTRA mouse-clicks
- to open and find your most common tools in the far-right hidden drop-down menu
- OR to keep open and find tools in the right tool panel; which are ALSO OVER-SIZED and UNABLE to be changed with standard Windows customizations (i.e., show icons only; display none, all, some; change font, etc.), and thus CLAIM MORE so-called precious screen "real-estate" space, plus reduces usability!

My conclusion after trying Acrobat X Pro (and reading many forum articles and reviews), compared to Acrobat 9 Pro-extended, is that it offers little realistic improvements but actually removes features and functionality. After I experienced good past steady improvements to Acrobat in past versions, I was hoping that Acrobat X Pro would be no exception; however, Adobe has made a HUGE MISTAKE in releasing this "albatross/Edsel" version, and has damaged their hard-won long-standing good reputation for producing high qulaity software. Acrobat X Pro is a horrible update compared to Acrobat 9 Pro-extended, and it seems to have mostly "cosmetic" changes into an uglier and less capable version, for which Adobe (marketers?) asks an inappropriate price with an unacceptable premium from its loyal customers.

I hope Adobe heeds the complaints and suggestions of its users, but it appears they have grown too big and have lost sight of their past accomplishments and goals which made them successful thus far; Acrobat X Pro should be vastly revised to restore its notable flexibility and functionality that users have enjoyed before, else this product will be dooomed by its lack of quality and features.

To correct a point; Acrobat X Pro is the successor to Acrobat 9 Professional, *not* Acrobat 9 Pro Extended. There is no Acrobat X Pro Extended, and to compare the feature sets of the two is not entirely fair.


The new UI in the Acrobat X Family was developed with very extensive customer feedback from the core target sector (enterprise knowledge workers), and while I totally agree that there are some long-time users of Acrobat who really hate the new look and feature set, Adobe are adamant that on balance of numbers it is what their customers wanted. The complaints we're seeing on AUC and the corporate website are perfectly valid from the point of view of those making them, but given the footprint of Acrobat and Reader (millions and hundreds of millions of users respectively) the level of complaints is nowhere near high enough to indicate Adobe have made a major error in judgment.

Every major UI change causes polarity - remember the Office Ribbon, Vista start menu, Aero... it's an inevitable effect of changing something people have gotten used to. The goal with the Acrobat X Family was to make the UI as streamlined as possible, and also to expose workflows *for the target audience*, many of whom found the old UI too complicated. This means for example that features which an enterprise worker will use regularly (Actions, commenting, etc) are given priority positions, and lesser-used features such as multimedia and preflight are buried deeper down the tree. If you happen to be someone who uses those features all the time, then I agree you're slightly at a disadvantage, but that's where the Quick Tools bar comes in.

We don't discuss what happens prior to release, but rest assured the changes were not made without a lot of debate and input from very experienced users of all types. Ultimately it's Adobe's product, and they can make it work however they wish to satisfy the maximum number of customers. Yes, things may evolve over time to reflect feedback and the automatic usage data Adobe collects via the Improvement Program, but the broad brush strokes are fixed until at least the next version.

UVSAR, I think that answer to someone else. I did not complain on the UI ,
I just asked where is the "Organize" and "Collections" that I had in Acrobat Pro, version 7,8 & 9 ?How Adobe, as a serious company, permit them self, to erase my Collections sets! it is (was) my Data.
They erase without warning, nothing. If I knew that this feature isn't "in" I wouldn't bought it.

Why do they have "Organize" in Photoshop/Premiere elements 9, but not in Acrobat X "Pro" ?

Sorry Udi - I was responding to reply #18 by ghenning.

Adobe's reason for removing Organizer has been stated above. You may choose not to believe it holds water, but nonetheless this is the reason. What other product lines choose to do is entirely their problem - you might well find that those which have the plugin now will remove it next time round just as Acrobat did, or you might find that Adobe comes up with something else to replace it across the range. Only time will tell.

Finding/recovering past Organizer collections:

I understand the disappointment at losing this feature from Adobe Professional 7-8 (and collections from the past) when "upgrading", but I have another related question: is there a way to somehow transition my collections to some other software or, at a minimum, to get some listing of the content of my valuable past collections?

Hi,
First, the organizer and collections was available in versions 7-8 AND 9.
I keep on my one of my machine the version 9, with my collections - I can just hope
that Adobe will understand their mistake and will put it back, or that another third party
will build a tool that can handle it.
I don't know if you can get a list of all your collections.

Thanks, Udi.